New research may help scientists grow more complex and mature heart tissue in the lab
A team led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has generated premature cells that support early heart development but vanish soon after birth.
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Boston, MAPhone: 617-726-2100
Salem, MAPhone: 978-741-1200
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Mass General Surgery: Thoracic Surgery
55 Fruit St.
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-726-2100
Salem Hospital
81 Highland Ave.
Salem, MA 01923
Phone: 978-741-1200
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Dr. Harald C. Ott is a thoracic surgeon at the Massachusetts General Hospital and an Associate Professor in Surgery at the Harvard Medical School. He is best known for his work in whole organ regeneration. He discovered and perfected the method of stripping an organ of its own cells and then infusing the remaining scaffold with new progenitor cells (Perfusion Decellularized Matrix: Using Nature’s Platform for Engineering Bioartificial Heart. Nat Med. 2008 Feb; 14(2):213-21.). To date, his technology has been successfully applied to heart, liver, lung, kidney, and pancreas regeneration. This method of reseeding and engraftment with native cells potentially eliminates donor organ shortage and the need for life-long immunosuppression in transplant patients, and thus lays the path for effective solutions for the millions of people in need of organ repair or replacement. Harald’s background is in surgery (M.D.; University Innsbruck in Austria, 2000) and this training has been an asset for his chosen field of scientific research. The privilege to work with patients suffering from end organ failure provides both motivation and inspiration to continue his work in organ regeneration.
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A team led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has generated premature cells that support early heart development but vanish soon after birth.
Using human induced pluripotent stem cells, a Massachusetts General Hospital research team has bioengineered functional small intestine segments that, when implanted into rats, were capable of delivering nutrients into the bloodstream.